Minnesota State High School League schools should no longer have a reason to travel far out of state to find football opponents or play less than an eight-game regular season football schedule. The League Board of Directors unanimously adopted a plan that places all member schools with football programs into Districts.
The members of each district will divide the district into sub-districts, and then create a full schedule for each team. In nearly all cases the placement of schools will not negatively affect traditional rivalries or preferred opponents.
Benson and KMS have been placed in the Mid State district, one of 18 districts set up by the MSHSL, and two of 24 schools placed in the district.
Some of the other teams are very familiar to both teams -- ACGC, BOLD, Melrose, Minnewaska Area, YME, Montevideo, Morris Area-CA, Paynesville, and Sauk Centre from the WCC -- while a few teams remain from KMS’ days in the Prairie Conference; Browerville, Upsala-Swanville-Area, West Central, Royalton, and Prairie Valley, which is comprised of Parkers Prairie (a former member of the Prairie South) and Eagle Valley, and is currently in the North Star Conference.
Add in eight other schools from the current Central Minnesota Conference -- BBE, Eden Valley-Watkins, Holdingford, Howard Lake-WW, Kimball Area, Maple Lake, Pierz, and Rockford, and you have the 24 teams in the Mid State District.